USB to serial adapter.

Storm Chasers · Post by **Storm Chasers** » 03 November 05 10:10 pm

Hi,

I am thinking of getting the USB to Serial adapter from here >>> http://www.gpsoz.com.au/usb.htm

Do you think this will work? I have a Magellan MAP330 with data cable and the laptop has 3 USB ports. I wish to use Ozi explorer with GPS connection for geocaching and storm chasing.

Any help appreciated....

Swampy · Post by **Swampy** » 03 November 05 10:17 pm

I'm using an ATen USB to serial adaptor with the laptop and my Gamin Vista.

They work a treat right up until you set the GPS for NMEA in/out and you haven't got moving map on in Oziexplorer. Does some funny things with the mouse but turn on moving map and it works a treat.

As the ad says: if it dont work, you get your money back!

Mr Router · Post by **Mr Router** » 04 November 05 1:21 pm

Always remember to plug adaptor in first then hook up the GPS, doing it the other way round causes some mad problems!
NMEA is for moving map but if the GpS is set for Garmin/Garmin the screen will prompt for the change to NMEA, Garmin/Garmin is only for when you are transfering waypoints & or tracks to the GPS.
We took a while to figure all this out but would not go back to naving by the arrow ( one to many times round the block,hehe ) We only do that when the box goes flat because the inverter is at home, which will soon be fixed by permanent fixing it in GeoSuzie.
Thats another point you must have undisturbed power, a long subject ! if anyone needs advise, we have been through mobile computing!

alex · Post by **alex** » 04 November 05 11:29 pm

I sell (and use myself) a similar converter - RRP $63.40 but $59 will do for cachers. I know mine works with both Magellan and Garmins, It includes driver CD and cable, but best of all you can use it without the cable (after all you already have all that cable from your GPS to the serial plug, do you need any more?)

c.j.b · Post by **c.j.b** » 05 November 05 12:48 am

I've got the $39 USB1.1-DB9 from Jaycar, which is especially winnable because it provides drivers for Mac OS8/9/X (and in use on my 10.4.3 iBook), and has a well-known chipset that even NetBSD Unix (my main desktop) knew about.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=XC4834

riblit · Post by **riblit** » 06 November 05 2:17 pm

Our $25.00 one works well on all the laptops I have owned as well as my desktop computer. If you are running windows XP it thinks any USB device that spits out data during bootup is a mouse or similar HID. I get around that simply by breaking the connection to the GPS while the laptop boots.
(It also supports Mac os 8.6 or higher)

arthurking83 · Post by **arthurking83** » 06 November 05 11:20 pm

Swampy wrote:I'm using an ATen USB to serial adaptor ............ Does some funny things with the mouse but turn on moving map and it works a treat.

I had similar problems with my no-name adapter (off ebay).
I downloaded a new driver in hope.......didn't help with the weird mouse probs, but made the computer less prone to crashes

The mouse problem, I found later, to be an added line in a windows config file on the C: drive.
It made use of "noserial mouse" in the startup routine, so windows doesn't mistake your GPS on USB as a mouse!!

I'll find the exact line I had to add, or the link I found, to fix the problem! (and edit this post!!)

cheers.
edit: http://www.gpsinformation.net/winxphelp.htm

dajjct · Post by **dajjct** » 07 November 05 11:36 am

I bought one of ebay - couldn't get it to work at all. Bought a more expensive one from this mob http://www.dontronics.com/usb_232.html. No problems with it at all. Also includes a couple of small LED's which show when it's transfering data.

!mike · Post by **!mike** » 07 November 05 3:54 pm

Hint: Check what serial port(s) your software supports and then what the adapter supports.
My USB -> serial cable would only install for com5 and a friend had a similar experience.

Tried to programme some radios recently only to find that the Icom software would only support ports 1 to 4 and not port 5. Fortunately there was a machine nearby with a serial port which saved the day - actually the weekend.

Mr Router · Post by **Mr Router** » 07 November 05 4:05 pm

Mr Router wrote:Always remember to plug adaptor in first then hook up the GPS, doing it the other way round causes some mad problems!

As above!